Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-28
A SHAMEFUL RECORD.

the Superintendent do credit TO his heart
and his courage, while the facts he recites
are rebukes to the chief city Of the coast
and to the religionists and philanthropists
within her bounds. 1t is astounding that
San Francisco can have 514 prisoners con-
fined at her very gates, the major portion
of whom are youths, and that no attention
whatever is given TO their moral and spir-
ituaI welfare, and that not 4 finger is lifted
to instruct or reclaim them, or prevent
their return to their old walks on dis
charge. The Superintendent says: In
no place in the land are prisoners treated
with so much consideration and provided
for 50 abundantly as here in California,
and those who are loudest in their CON-
plants are invariably the professional
vagabonds for whom | have no sympathy"
This is a statement in which probably all
the keepers of prisoners in California will
concur. But it does not appear that it re-
suits in corresponding reforms, or that at
tention is given to the moral part at all COM
parable with that bestowed upon the phys
ical. Further on in his report the Superin-
tendent says; at is generally admitted
that the common incentives to crime are
Ignorance improvidence' and indi-
gence.'" He omits, probably by inadyer-
tence, another chief cause, intemper-
ance." 1t is the testimony Of all wardens
that it is the principal of all the causes,
yet no effort at all proportional to the
necessity, is made to reach the seat of the
evil, and thus lessen crime. 1t is probably
true that seven out of ten Of the lower or
der of criminals charge their downward ca
reer directly to the inebriating cup That
the Superintendent should omit all mention
of this cause, therefore, can scarcely be due
to the fact that he is aware it would meet
with no response at all helpful to him, but,
on the contrary, might bring upon him po-
litical punishment Whisky is a social
outlaw, but possessed of strength sufficient
to care for its own interests and castigate
the official who ventures to lay at its door
its rightful measure of responsibility.
Some day, however, society will be COM
PEELED to stand face to face with the ques-
ton.
Concerningncophytes, in crime Mr. Foley
says: I" In my opinion the time has arrived
when California must devote some intelli-
gent thought to the question of devising
means for the reformation of youthful of
Tenders" and he adds that there is no Getty
in the country where so little has been
done in this regard as in San Francisco"
He might have included the State. With
the verdict Of prison officers unanimously
rendered, that in our .iails and penitentia-
ries we are maintaining schools of crime,
every effort before the Legislature to Sc
cure the separation of the youthful and
first offenders from the hardened criminals.
is thwarted and frowned down by the
business politicians. We are three de-
cades behind most other communities in
NliAo 4N9l'NNN, til4Nl Opiltllltt 70 east lilIO
prison companionship these classes, with
full knowledge of the fact that we are in
creasing the number of criminals thereby
and confirming the beginners, who under
the " separate system might be reclaimed
to walks of usefulness.
Another disclosure made in the report
concerning the San Francisco Penitentiary
ought to cause the people of that city TO
blush with shame. The Superintendent
says 10 effort has ever been made in that
institution toward reformation, and he
adds; 1t is pitiful to contemplate the
youth who are daily sent back to the per-
nicious moral atmosphere of their old
haunts, when if they could have the benefit
OF proper instruction and training they
would become useful and honorable citi
zens. My experience and observation of
this class teaches me that large percent
age are susceptible of reformation, and
earnestly hope that your honorable Board
will devise some means by which their
condition may be improved" There is no
library in the prison-not a single book,
magazine or paper; no sufficient provision
made to employ the inmates in useful
labor; no means employed to enlighten
them in the slightest degree They are
simply herded together, and the older
criminals left free to contaminate the
younger, and to teach them to become ex-
pert thieves, burglars and cut-throats
when they are set free. Not only have no
reforms been attempted in the prison, but
the Church has made no effort to have re-
ligious services held weekly in the institu-
ton, or to have moral teaching set before
the prisoners. This is very humiliatine
revelation for the great metropolis of the
coast. Mr.. Foley is unquestionably cor
rect in the conclusion he draws that in no
other penal institution in the land is there
such utter and wanton neglect to improve
the morals or enlarge the intelligence of
the inmates. In 1887 $50 Catholics and
12I ProteStantS were committed to the
House of Correction, yet no religious
services are held for either, or are any
steps taken looking to reclamation of these
human beings who, though criminals, re-
cord themselves as attached by some links
to specific churches Here are 514 prison
ers in one prison of the chief city of the
State, and yet, according to the report, not
single step has been taken to morally
benefit or reclaim them by the city, in the
way of schools or proper employment, or
blythe labors of churches or philanthropists.
OF these 5l4 prisoners 313 are between the
ages of II and 80, more than half there
fore, being young men, and one-fourth of
the whole number being mere boys. Here
is field for missionary work among minds
still capable of being nodded, and vet it is
of record that no sort of reformatorv effort
of any kind has been made. We submit
that no other city in the land can he
charged with such shameful neglect.
COOPERATION.